None of them had a comment.
“So here is what I want, we don’t know how powerful their shields are. I want targeting plans for cases where it takes one missile to destroy an enemy, all the way up to ten. When we get close enough to read their shield strength, we can choose the attack plan that will kill the most ships. We should know about fifteen minutes before we get there, but I want the plan we’ll use before then, so I need options. It’s probably good to have it in the computer anyway, for future battles, just pull up the right settings.”
CMDR Cam Benson asked, “Is ten likely? It would only take two of the Shield missiles, and maybe five of smaller ones to take down any ship in this fleet.”
I shrugged, “My prototype shuttle with the next shield type would take ten shield missiles before going down, and it might even survive that if it can dodge well enough, so we can’t make assumptions. That said, you’re correct that it isn’t very likely, but why take chances. I want it figured down though, if three Shield missiles is overkill, but two won’t do it, we need to target with two, plus one of the regular missiles, or with one of the ships anti-mass weapons. We have enough of a mix not to waste anything I think.”
Kristi cleared her throat, “I can build an algorithm for the ship A.I.s to use, based on the shield strength scan it could spit out the optimal combinations of the available ordinance. Give me… half an hour.”
Cam smiled at Kristi and said, “I love you.”
Kristi laughed and winked at him, the rest of us chuckled too.
“Any other questions, comments?” I asked.
No one had any, so we ended the call. I grabbed a coffee and made it out on the bridge and tried to look attentive, confident, and relaxed. I was in fact, fairly confident with shield missiles we’d be able to make Admiral Stenz’s strike and flee plan work, but I wasn’t so sure about the rest of the fleet.
Chapter 15
We only had about an hour to go when Lt. Jerry Simpson said, “Ma’am, I’m picking up power signatures behind us, twenty, they weren’t there a moment ago and are now in pursuit,” then louder, “Missiles incoming!”
The only reason we had a warning at all was because they were chasing us.
Tammy said, “Ma’am, the computer has a solution on shield strength, two Shield missiles, or three regular missiles and a beam, or two beams two missiles, or three beams one missile.”
I ordered calmly, “Two and two, fire now. Tammy, connect your console with the rest of the fleet so we don’t double up on targets. Jerry, pass on the order to open fire on the commander’s channel and leave the channel open.”
I let a bit of the stress through, fear was good, it would help keep me alive. But not enough that I started to shake, or couldn’t project confidence.
Our ship fired eight missiles and eight anti-mass beams, blowing up four of the ships. The other five ships fired a second later right after the enemy fired a second salvo. We didn’t really have time to deploy the Shield missiles, we were an hour away from the battle and completely surprised.
Regardless, the other five Earth ships had fired and so did a few others, the remaining sixteen disappeared in flashes of light. But there were still two rounds of eighty missiles incoming.
Tammy said, “Permission to open fire ma’am, each missile will take two beams to destabilize… I think.”
“Fire,” I ordered, both to her and the five listening commanders.
The six ships fired forty-eight beams, destroying twenty-four of the missiles as their anti-mass field disintegrated and they turned to energy before they were even close enough for that to damage anyone. The Knomen fired as well, taking another twenty-four. But as we recharged for another shot, the thirty-two remaining missiles tore into the formation. None of the Earth vessels were hit, the ambushers seemed to be going specifically after the Knomen ships.
Ten of the missiles hit Admiral Stenz’s flagship, erasing it from existence, the last twenty-two were split between four ships, destroying those as well. I tried hard not to think about the fact that all the people I’d just met over there were dead.
“Fire at will on the last eighty as soon as they’re in range,” I ordered.
More of the thirty-five ships on the back line had woken up, although we were down to thirty now, and took out the entire second wave of missiles.
Jerry looked over at me, “Admiral, communications is… erratic. Everyone is talking at once, a lot of them asking who’s in charge and if the attack goes forward without Stenz.”
That was a really good question, I took a sip of my coffee and relaxed into my chair, I reminded myself the ambush was over, and there was no need to panic. I didn’t have to just act relaxed, I could be relaxed. I could let the horror out over the deaths later, for now I locked it down in my mind so I could think.
My voice was curious when I asked, “Are any of the Knomen ships responding? There should still be fifteen of them.”
“One moment ma’am,” and he turned back to his console.
Lira looked at the scanner in shock. Admiral Stenz was dead… Admiral Stenz was Dead!
She brought up a transfer request form on her station and started to fill it out, she was positive this one would be accepted…
Jerry looked up from his console and said dubiously, “Ma’am, they’re all talking to each other, but I don’t know about what.”
Hmm, they’re probably over there arguing about who’s taking charge. Typical bureaucracy, no one wants to take responsibility if it all goes to hell. We are also more outnumbered now, seven hundred twelve to six hundred twenty-five, instead of six hundred thirty.
“Open a video frequency to the fleet, use the same frequency Stenz was.”
Jerry hit a few buttons then nodded over to me.
“This is Admiral Alicia Jones on the Earth flagship Apollo, the attack is still on, we already have a plan, and order of attack. The Leirans are depending on us, Apollo out.”
A moment later Jerry reported, “The Comms are clearing ma’am.”
Kristi walked over from her station and whispered, “Did you just take over the fleet?”
I shrugged, “Maybe. I didn’t really take command, I just told them what to do.”
Kristi started laughing, “Umm, Alicia, I’m afraid that means you took over.”
Right… My logic was pretty weak on that one.
I’d decided to activate Shield at the last minute, I wanted the enemy to have the least amount of time to scan them and try to figure out a counter. We were only a three minutes away when I gave the order.
“Jerry, put me on the commander’s channel,” I waited a moment, “Launch Shield now, keep back twenty as discussed, but move the hundred and eighty to the front formation. At these shield readings we should be able to knock out ninety before any of the waves take return fire, more ships will escape that way.”
It wasn’t a bad way to start, we’d hit them with the numbers a lot more even, we’d even have three more ships than they would at that point. I just wished we had more of them.
“Jerry, open a fleet frequency,” and waited for his sign, “We are launching some… smart missiles, stay in formation and just ignore them. Some of them will be joining the first rank. Apollo out.”
No sooner had I delivered that heads up, when the Shield missiles flew themselves out, twenty of them forming a sphere of protection around each ship, the remainder racing past the ships in front of us. Around twenty seconds before the first line would enter enemy anti-mass particle weapon range, they shot forward even faster, pairing up on the Seltan ships.
They were stationary, so didn’t get more than one shot with their anti-mass particle weapons, but they weren’t ready, so most of the missiles got through to fire their own particle weapons into the ships as they dropped their shields. Eighty-one of the ships exploded, and nine of them took damage from the one missile that got through, but were still in the game.
“Tammy, coordinate fire with the other ships, Barry, be rea
dy to peel off on our vector.”
There wasn’t really time left for more orders than that, the battle itself was ridiculously short. Time went by fast at FTL, all six waves had a second between them, I watched the plot, and the destruction in so short a time was horrific. It was so mindless, and at the moment we sped away, we lost two of the twenty protective missiles from enemy fire, I was more motivated than ever to figure out a better way to fight.
“Report,” I ordered a few seconds later.
Tammy’s voice was strained, “Ma’am, six hundred and seventy-seven of the enemy ships were destroyed, there are thirty-five remaining, three of which are damaged. Our losses… five hundred and one destroyed, including the Hades, we have a hundred twenty-four left, ten damaged but moving at reduced speed.
I suppressed the storm of emotions boiling under my control and kept my face still. The Hades, CMDR Ella Ayers along with seventy others. I wondered in that moment if it would have made a difference launching the fighters. I’d held them back because they would have been slaughtered, but more died than would have with the Hades getting blown up. I was definitely going to suggest upgrading the shields on all fighters, shuttles, missiles, and the large ships, carriers, battlecruisers, and missile boats when we had them.
I knew I was second guessing my decision to hide it, but it was a much harder concept to swallow in the face of all the death I’d just seen. At the very least everything but the large ships, which meant everything that didn’t require us to hand over the specs. Either that, or it was time to tell the Knomen to screw off, but I knew it was too early for that, we needed a couple more months at least.
Tammy corrected a moment later, “Thirty-one enemy ships remaining, our farewell volleys took out four more.”
“Jerry, channel to the fleet please.”
“Yes Ma’am,” he responded.
I let none of my sorrow enter my voice as I ordered, “This is Admiral Jones aboard Apollo, all ships swing around and finish them off. If they run for the core, let them.”
If anyone had an objection to that, they didn’t say so. The bastards fired off one more volley before taking off, but lost another ten in the exchange and only two of ours were lost. So twenty-one Seltan ships escaped back toward their Empire, and out of the six hundred and thirty ships we’d started with, we were holding this system with only a hundred and twenty-two ships.
“All call Jerry, and the commander’s channel.”
He nodded a moment later.
“This is the Admiral, the battle is over and what remains of the enemy is fleeing in defeat. I want pilots and Marines out in the shuttles now looking for survivors. I’d also like the enemy debris searched for useful intel and prisoners, but only after taking care of our own. Excellent job everyone, Jones out.”
I was crashing pretty hard, and needed some food. Acting, or should I say, being forcibly calm in the middle of battle took a lot of energy and mental focus, I’d never had to work so hard to continually control my body’s emotions. It didn’t help that it was a damned slaughter, the losses were ridiculously high on both sides.
But I stuck it out, determined to stay on the bridge until rescue operations were complete. It was the least I could do for those out there waiting to be rescued. At least I had a whole ship under my ass, I had little cause to complain or run to my room. Other ships in the fleet joined in on the effort of course, and fifteen Leiran ships lifted off the planet to assist as well. I didn’t blame them for waiting until the end of the battle if that’s all they had left.
So it only took an hour or two to comb all the wreckage. We recovered two humans, fourteen Tressians, and sixty-two others of various races. We didn’t find any Seltans alive, or any intel. That was kind of disappointing, I wanted to know what their beef with the Knomen Empire was, were they just a conqueror species, or a species like humans who just didn’t want to be told what to do?
I said to Tammy and over the Commander’s channel, “Fleet, bring in the remaining Shield missiles, have the engineers build more to replace what was used, I’m replacing the template, we should be able to fit twice as many now, a hundred each. The normal missiles as well, replace them I mean.”
I sent the design I’d made with the improved shields. They wouldn’t actually do more damage, but they would move much faster than the old missiles, and would pretty much be immune to the anti-mass particle beams.
Jerry said tentatively, “Ma’am, someone on the planet wishes to speak to the Admiral fleet.”
“Put them on screen.”
The screen popped from the view of the outside to the call. The Leiran race was tall and thin, kind of looked like a stretchy human. According to the scans, Leira had a low gravity compared to most, just point five two of Earth’s gravity, maybe that made the difference? He had ochre eyes, and bright red hair, pale skin, and a neck that looked an inch or two too long. Otherwise they looked human like all the other races I’d seen.
“Admiral, I thank you on behalf of Leira, I am Alnot, ruler of this world.”
I replied gravely, “On behalf of my crews and the ships in the fleet, I accept your thanks. What can I do for you Alnot?”
I was trying not to laugh, because all I could think of was I guess he wasn’t Al. Stupid and silly under the circumstances, but I was getting a bit punchy, I needed to get something to eat soon, and operations were finally at the point I could leave the bridge.
Alnot replied, “Would you join me for evening meal? In three hours? I would like to discuss the situation, and discover how long your fleet will remain? It will take some weeks to recover and rebuild our fleet and defenses. Please limit your party to eight.”
I nodded, “Send your coordinates to my ship, three hours, Apollo out,” I was still getting a snack and two-hour nap. Oh crap, I’d have to dig out the dress uniform…
I ordered, “Jerry, get second shift in here to relieve us.”
Chapter 16
“I hate you,” I said with venom.
Kristi beamed at me as if I’d delivered a compliment, and I suppose I had. I was in my military dress uniform, and Kristi was in a stunning red cocktail dress that flowed down her curvy body, merely giving hints at what lay below. She was also in a pair of black high heels. She looked really good.
I scrunched my eyes suspiciously, “Did you bring that?”
She grinned, “Nope, I sweet talked one of your engineers into fabricating it. All I had to do was bat my eyes and promise to model it for him.”
I shook my head, “Your terrible.”
She grinned wider, “You look good too…”
I glared at the evil woman who was my best friend, and headed out the door where Barbara and Elise were in dress uniforms as well, apparently I needed to take two guards with me. My face fell as I remembered there was enough room for two of them because I was short a commander. As far as I knew Benson, Teller, Johnson, and Martinez were waiting down in the hangar bay for the rest of us.
We walked down to the hangar bay and over toward the shuttle, the four commanders were standing by the door, and when the saw me they came to attention and saluted. It’s hard to explain, but I felt like crying right then. I had no idea why they were doing that, honoring me when I’d failed, messed up, and gotten Ella killed. There was anger there too, as if I were mad at them for honoring the fool that got Ella killed, like they were betraying her somehow in accepting me.
I should have launched the fighters, we had a hundred and twenty… twenty in each ship, a two fighter team could have taken a ship each, which meant those last thirty-six enemy ships could have been killed almost twice over in the first pass before we broke perpendicular, and the Hades had been shot in the back.
I sucked it up though, suppressed the feelings and returned their salute. After all, Admirals don’t cry in public, and I wouldn’t dream of throwing it in their faces. Despite my ambivalence, and wanting to shed angry tears, the moment filled me with pride as well. Which… really didn’t make all that much sens
e. Afterward they smiled and waited for me to board the shuttle before following us inside.
Somehow I’d won their respect despite my failure, and I didn’t understand why. I’m sure they’d seen it, I had and they were all better tacticians than I was, it was obvious in hindsight. I smiled lightly and did the best I could to let it go on the shuttle ride down, I could figure out my conflicting emotions later, maybe I was still just a little strung out from the battle.
The coordinates we arrived at were to a private landing pad in what sort of looked like a palace. I say sort of, because it had the grandeur, and look of importance to it, but it looked nothing like a palace anywhere on Earth. The architecture was completely alien. The stone was some kind of blue marble, and there were statues of large animals, I supposed it would be this world’s version of the gargoyle. The arches for the doors, eaves, and every other corner and rounded tower had very intricate designs.
Ironically, it was nature that was familiar. Right behind us going the other way looked like a forest of redwood trees. I was sure they weren’t redwood, but it would take a DNA analysis to prove it. The grass was green, and while the flowers looked different, they also looked the same.
A very tall skinny man in some kind of servant’s outfit walked out to us and bowed.
“Admiral Jones, you and your party can follow me, I’ll take you to the sitting room. Dinner will be served in eighteen minutes.”
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